A lack of hardware updates leaves customers and investors disappointed in the new iPhone 4S

Through a good portion of 2011, many awaited the big iPhone 5 announcement with the traditional amped-up presentation to show off all the new features an Apple fan could hope for. Instead, what they got was the iPhone 4S and a presentation that lacked the charisma of former CEO Steve Jobs.

The iPhone 4S, which was announced yesterday, does give customers a few changes to look forward to. It's trading in the single-core A4 processor for a dual-core A5 processor. Also, it has 8-megapixel camera with backside illumination (the iPhone 4 had a 5MP camera), the new mobile operating system iOS 5, and it can operate on CDMA and GSM networks.

A main addition to the 4S is the voice assistant called Siri. Siri has been a third-party app that could be downloaded for iOS devices, but now, a more fluid and user-friendly version of the app is integrated into the iPhone 4S. The app was removed from Apple's App Store after presenting the 4S yesterday, and the servers were taken offline. The Siri servers, however, are back online with the following message: "I've been replaced! The new Siri is even smarter and better looking than me, and waiting for you on the iPhone 4S. I'll be leaving for home Oct. 15th. Until then...how can I help you?"

While a newer, better version of Siri voice command is a nice addition to the 4S; it may not be enough to encourage current iPhone 4 users to switch to the latest addition to the iPhone family. Many were disappointed by the lack of external changes, saying they had hoped for a thinner phone with a larger screen. The iPhone's appearance has not changed in over a year, unless you count the release of the white iPhone 4.

"It's been 16 months and all you've got is an A5 processor in the existing iPhone 4," said Colin Gillis, an analyst with BGC Partners. "It's a mild disappointment, but they're still going to be selling millions of units."

The iPhone 4S may sell during the upcoming holiday season due to the expiration of two-year 3GS contracts, but Android-powered smartphones are at the top of their game and Apple really could have used a home run with a new device to intensify competition. Android-powered smartphones had voice command features integrated into their systems already, and the hardware/software is continuously changing. Apple's decision to not update hardware in the 4S may lead to more Android-related purchases, putting the iPhone maker behind by the time it releases the iPhone 5.

According to a Nielsen study, Android-powered smartphones are No. 1 in the U.S. with a 43 percent market share leaving the iPhone at No. 2 with a 28 percent market share.

Consumers and investors are disappointed in the 4S release, but Apple has some other tricks up its sleeve. Along with the 4S announcement came the news of a $99 iPhone 4 and a free iPhone 3GS for those who sign long-term contracts with their wireless carriers. This will appeal to low-end markets and give Apple an edge in a whole new area.

"Apple is hitting Nokia where it's vulnerable," said Michael Yoshikami, CEO of YCMNet Advisors. "How many billions of people in emerging markets would love to have an iPhone? These are a growing demographic."

" 1) Apple makes some improvements to Siri2) Integrates it into the iPhone 4S3) Removes Siri app from App Store4) Tells current Siri app users to enjoy the fun while it lasts5) Shuts down Siri servers on October 156) Tell sad panda Siri owners to buy an iPhone 4S

"Cold as ice!"

That is really crappy of them to do. It will be interesting to see how Tony Squash and the other Mac zealots spin this behaviour.

1. The Siri voice input feature doesn’t support Chinese2. The iPhone 4S looks the same as the iPhone 43. You’ll get Chinese email service support in iOS 5 anyway4. Still no choice of telcos in China5. Rival phones and OSes now much stronger

1. The Siri voice input feature doesn’t support Chinese2. The iPhone 4S looks the same as the iPhone 43. You’ll get Chinese email service support in iOS 5 anyway4. Still no choice of telcos in China5. Rival phones and OSes now much stronger

100,000 reasons Apple will rule the Chinese market. That's the number of visitors the Shanghai Apple store got in one weekend. One weekend!

Oh then there is 25. That's the number of Apple stores (real not fakes) opening in China by the end of 2011. Even more next year.

quote: That is really crappy of them to do. It will be interesting to see how Tony Squash and the other Mac zealots spin this behaviour.

Frankly who cares? I don't. Apparently you guys who don't have iPhones, don't like Apple and didn't use the old Siri app, care for some weird reason but this is a non issue in the real world. Why focus on negative trivia when the new Siri in iPhone 4s shows us the future.

What do you think about Apple's decision to put Siri into the new device, remove Siri from the app store and disable Siri for those that currently use it on older devices so the only way to use it is by buying a new iphone.

quote: What do you think about Apple's decision to put Siri into the new device, remove Siri from the app store and disable Siri for those that currently use it on older devices so the only way to use it is by buying a new iphone.

a) I don't care

b) What Apple did is fine by me. It's their product and if people don't like their products or their behaviour they can buy products from another company.

c) You really don't care, you just pretend to. Why should you care, you don't own Apple products and you didn't use the old Siri app. This is just a pathetic, desperate attempt at shit stirring - which won't work. Within 48 hours everyone will have forgotten about it.

d) What upsets you is that you know, deep in your heart, that no matter how much anybody tries to whip up a story about this, or about the iPhone 4s being some sort of a let down, that within a month or so the iPhone 4s will be the best selling handset on the planet.

e) What really pisses you off has got nothing to do with Siri, or anything else about Apple you can might to try to froth up some faux outrage about, what pisses you off is that you don't like Apple but tens of millions of people will be buying their products this month, and next month and the month after that. In increasing numbers. What pisses you off is that nobody cares about your deeply felt phobic passions about Apple. Least of all Apple.

Actually its exactly things like this that makes me NOT want buy Apple products... But I am glad for Apple's existence. They push things along and make others more competitive. If not for Apple, Win 7 and Android wouldnt be so good as they are, so no, I dont want Apple to fail, I wish them the best and hope sales are high. I do think if they would make more options and stop doing crap like this it would help them. Imagine a slightly smaller iphone and a slightly larger one with a 4.5+ inch screen. Maybe even a removable battery, or even a qwerty model. They would sell way more phones and have less Napolean syndrome.

I do love to hear you defend even their sleeziest of moves though. It shows that you are here only to promote Apple and have zero logic or open-minded thinking on it.

Because it goes back to how they do things. We don't like it. Apple plays very dirty and they try to control everything too much. This is just another example. Shamelessly taking an App off the market to force/bundle it with the 4S. So people with an older iPhone either have to jailbreak their phone to run the apps they want, or of course, buy the newest iToy.

The more and more advanced these phones get, the more these phones practically become computers. And to hell with owning an Apple computer. We all know how that worked out for them and those unfortunate enough to get roped into it.

We want to run the software we want, when we want, and how we want without risking a "jailbreak". We want to change our own battery or at least have the ability to. And we want a memory card slot so we can add storage to our devices instead of paying for the $500 ripoff "upgraded memory" editions. These are just a few of the dealbreakers.

You can't seem to grasp these concepts, or just shrug them off as being irrelevant, so don't worry about why we care.

This is as if MS only offered Office on Windows 7, disabled the use of office on older PC's and removed office from stores and only offered it wit a new PC or W7 purchase... While not allowing openoffice, or any competing product to be used. Can you imagine the fallout if MS behaved this way?

quote: We want to run the software we want, when we want, and how we want without risking a "jailbreak".

I don't understand this reasoning, given that rooting (same thing as jailbreaking, except usually more complicated) is recommended by Android users. They'll bash on iOS for being locked down, and then they'll turns right around and talk about having to hack around Motorola's locked-down bootloader, rooting their Samsung Fascinate to get around the blocks Verizon put in to prevent you from re-installing Google search apps, or trying to install a new version of the OS that is otherwise prevented because some carriers don't want to update the phones, they want you to buy a new one instead.

Some of us alot of us who own iPhone 4s have siri app. Who cares well all of us who have the fuckin app. Tony wtf is up with you Jesus. Apples been pissing me off with their attack on sumsung and I don't own anything made buy same samsung (I indirectly own chips that are used in devices like my 3 iPhones and other electronics. My HDTV isn't samsun but they sure have samsung chips)Now this, apple is getting way to big of an ego. Now they shit on the people who purchased iPhones buy doing this. To try to force me to upgrade to the useless iPhone 4s. Who in their right mind really need to upgrade to and iPhone 4 there is no real preformace incress. That's like someone going from sandybridge to ivy bridge with intel. Just like that I have a I-7 sandy bridge no point in looking at ivy bridge just wait till haswell. But you defending apple on this one I do not get. Your seroiusly are a blind fanboy warshiper. Hope a class action lawsuit arises becuase of this.